Electrical carder



ELECTRICAL CARDER.

Filed March 23. 1932 P. M. fSTR ANG 1,968,861

Patented Aug. 7, was

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1,968,861 ELECTRICAL CABDEB Peter M. Strang, Washington, D. 0. Application March 23, 1932, Serial No. 600,704 5 Claims. (01. 19-98) This invention relates to an improved machine for treating fibrous material and particularly fibrous material of the general class characterized by cotton at the earlier stages of its conversion into textile yarn. The present invention particularly affords apparatus which is effective in loosening, straightening and cleaning the entangled fibers as they are received, for example, from a bale breaker.

My prior application Serial No. 575,495, filed November 16, 1931, relates to the treatment of fibers of this general character by the employment of an electrical charge, such a charge tending to straighten and separate the fibers. The present invention affords an improvement upon and a further development of the arrangement and method disclosed in said prior application and is particularly effective in treating a large quantity of cotton which may be fed more or less continuously to the machine.

In accordance with this invention the cotton may be fed to a position from which it is drawn to the electrified roll; the latter being effective in pulling individual fibers. away from the mass so that the fibers pass onto the cylinder together with a certain amount of foreign matter such as dirt, vegetable particles, and the like. Thus the fibers are separated and tend to lie in a more or less parallel position due to the action of the electrical charge and centrifugal force. The roll preferably may be driven at such a speed that centrifugal force is effective in aiding the outward movement of the heavier foreign material so that it passes away from the surface of the roll and avoids soiling of a subsequent charge of cotton. Preferably the cotton is fed onto the roll from a suitable hopper and then continues in contact with the surface of the roll for a portion of a revolution of the latter, being removed 'from the roll by any suitable means such as a doifer.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view, partly insection and partly in side elevation, of one typical embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of an optional form of roll;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the same;

Figs. 4 and 5 are similar end and 'side eleva-,

tions of another form of roll;

Figs. 6 and 7 are end and side elevations respectively of 'still another type of roll, Fig. 6 showing the manner in which the electrical charge may be supplied to the surface of the roll; and n Fig. 8 is a section, to large scale, indicated by line 8-8 of Fig. 1. g

In the accompanying drawing (Fig. 1) I have illustrated a large roll 1 of insulating material, which may be rotated by any suitable -means and which is provided with peripheral elements that are formed of electrically conductive material such as the metallic elements 3, which may be in the form of numerous prongs, such, for example, as are provided by conventional card clothing. Such card clothing comprises a web 3 having numerous staple-like elements penetrating the same and providing outstanding pins or prongs, the elements being in the form of double pointed staples and having bight portions upon the face of the clothing opposite the prongs.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 8, a metallic sheet, 8 may be disposed upon the roll 1 within the outer covering of card clothing 4 so that it contacts with the inner portions of the metallic elements 3. A suitable wire or other electrical conductor 5 may connect the element 4 to a metallic ring 6 upon the end 7 of the roller,-a brush 9 contacting the ring 6 and being connected to a suitable static electrode or other source of high potential electricity by a lead 11. The source 10 maybe of any suitable kind or construction, the electricity preferably being at a relatively high voltage as, for example, a voltage of the order of at least 2,000 to 50,000 volts. Adjoining and above the roller 1 is a hopper 15 having a lower end spaced outwardly of the ends of the metallic elements 3. Below the roll 1 a suitable grating 2 of insulating material may be provided having openings through which foreign particles may pass. The roller preferably rotates in-the direction indicated by the curved arrow in Fig. 1, and a peripheral portion thereof, after passing below the open lower end of the hopper 15, moves through a fraction of a revolution and then is juxtaposed to the doifer mechanism 20, which may be of conventional form.

In the operation of apparatus of this character cotton in an irregularly entangled and balled or lumped condition may be supplied to the hopper 15, for example, from the bale breaker, and is received upon the outer surface of the card clothing 4. The prongs are effective in picking up this cotton and moving it mechanically toward the dofler 20. The electrical charge received by the metallic elements 3 tends t centrate at the ends of these relatively pointed elements, thus affording numerous regions of high electrical concentration. This electrical treatment is effective in substantially loosening the entangled fibers so that they tend to lie more'generally parallel to each other and so that foreign particles caught in the entangled material are released and drop between the pronged elements 3 upon the outer surface of the card clothing. Thus the cotton is supplied in a cleaned and loosened condition to-the dofllng mechanism 20 which may readily receive the cotton which has collected chiefly upon the points of the elements 3, conveying the cotton to a subsequent treating and cleaning machine or to any point of subsequent use.

Numerous other arrangements of rollers with metallic conducting elements thereon may be employed rather than the roller 1 of Fig. 1. Thus, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the roller 31 may have metallic rings 32 thereon which are connected by a transverse bar or lead 33 which in turn is connected to a contact ring 86 similar to the ring 6 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate another form of roller having transverse metallic ribs or bars 41. A metallic ring 42 may be connected to the ends of the bars 41 and in'turn is connected to an inner ring 46 corresponding to the ring 6 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 6 and '7 illustrate another form of roller 51 which may have.one or more spiral windings 53. A continuation of each winding is connected to the ring 56 similarto the ring 6 of Fig. 1 and similarly provided with a brush 59 I connected to an electrical lead 61.

Attention is called to the fact that a machine of this-character is not only effective to perform a mechanical cleaning and carding of the fibrous material, but also afl'ords an enhanced cleaningandstraightening efiect, due to the employment of electrical charges tending to straighten and loosen the fibers.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A machine of the class described comprising a roll, a hopper to supply fibrous material to the roll, a doifer to remove fibrous material from the roll, card clothing wrapped about the roll and including metallic elements having numerous prongs projecting outwardly from the roll and also having portions disposed upon. the

inner face of the clothing, metallic means disposed within the wrapping of card clothing and contacting with said metallic elements, and means electrically connecting said metallic means to a charged static electrode.

2. A machine of the class described comprising a roll, metallic rings spaced longitudinally of the roll, a charged electrode, means connecting the rings to said electrode, means to direct the fibrous material to a peripheral portion of said roll, and means to remove the fibrous material from a peripherally spaced portion of the roll.

3. A machine of the class described comprising a roll, metallic elements spacedcircumferentially of the roll, a charged static electrode, means connecting the elements to said electrode, means to direct the fibrous material to a peripheral portion of said roll, and means to remove the fibrous material from a peripherallyspaced portion of the roll.

4. A machine of the class described comprising a roll, a metallic element spirally wound about the roll, a high potential electrode, means connecting the element to said electrode, means to direct the fibrous material to a peripheral portion of said roll, and means to remove the fibrous material from a peripherally spaced portion of the roll.

5. Method of treating matted fibrous material, such as cotton, comprising the rotatidn of a roll having metallic elements upon its periphery, supplying an electrostatic charge of high potential to said elements, employing said roll to draw material from the matted mass and cause ing the material to clingto the periphery of the roll while causing the fibers to tend to separate and straighten, rotating the roll at a speed so high that foreign particles tend to separate from the fibers due to the action of centrifugal force, and mechanicallyremoving the fibrous material from the roll at a portion thereof spaced from the matted mass.

PETER M. STRANG. 

